Swansea University has expanded its language offerings, allowing students in the BA Modern Languages programme to study Catalan, Italian, and Portuguese from beginners’ level. These new options add to existing courses in French, German, and Spanish, as well as disciplines such as translation and interpreting. The university’s curriculum also covers cultural studies and second-language teaching.
The university recently became a corporate member of the Association for Language Learning (ALL), an organization that connects over 4,000 international language teachers across the UK. This partnership is expected to strengthen Swansea’s links with schools. Swansea’s Modern Languages team has already held virtual outreach sessions for school pupils, including a recent event attended by around 250 local students.
The timing of this partnership aligns with the launch of a new ALL Cymru branch in Wales. Swansea University also introduced a liberal arts programme called BA Combined Honours, which allows students to select modules from various subject areas within the School of Culture and Communication.
Dr Greg Herman, senior lecturer in Modern Languages at Swansea University, commented: “More languages on offer for our students and stronger links with school pupils through the Association for Language Learning; these two recent developments, along with a rise in admissions over the past five years, show how languages are thriving at Swansea University.
Offering Catalan, Italian and Portuguese will mean more choice for our students. The ALL partnership will help us promote languages in schools across the UK.
Studying languages at Swansea gives you not just a wide choice of options to follow, but also access to language labs, streaming services, and translation and interpreting technology. Plus, of course, you have the option to spend your third year abroad, supported by our staff, in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations.
We’re looking forward to hearing from anyone who wants to find out more about studying languages with us here at Swansea. Please do get in touch!”
Students shared their experiences with language courses at Swansea. Freddie Bercow said: “Italian for Starters was a brilliant introduction to the language and culture – engaging, fun, and a great foundation for my modern languages journey!” Bryher Thornton-Brake added: “I've wanted to learn Italian since I was very young, and it was incredibly rewarding to pick up the language and get to speak so fast, especially in such a fun and low-pressure atmosphere. I'm excited to continue studying Italian this year.” Joe Nash described his experience: “Studying Spanish at Swansea University has been transformative. From supportive lecturers to intellectually stimulating modules, every moment has deepened my love for the language. My time here was unforgettable and has shaped my confidence as a global communicator.”